Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wednesday ramblings

Just because I feel like it (this is likely not going to be a regular thing or even a semi-regular thing), I just wanted to base my thoughts on several WWE questions/ideas floating around the internet recently. So here we go:

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(1) Your thoughts on Nexus' impact so far?

It started out great, but has been struggling to stay afloat lately. Nexus arguably had the best "debut" in WWE at least in the last several years (in quotation marks because we technically saw them in NXT first, but never united as a group like that) when they trashed the ring, beat up everyone at ringside, and some guy was released because he choked a ring announcer with a tie and spat on some former Thuganomics rapper. There are a bunch of mistakes WWE made in handling Nexus, but these three stand out the most to me as of this date:

First, Nexus should have won the 7-on-7 match at SummerSlam. Sure, I loved Daniel Bryan being the seventh man and I would leave his performance pretty much the same. However, at the end, Cena would be the last man for Team WWE, while Wade Barrett would be last for Nexus. Barrett, likely by crook, should have beaten Cena. Instead, Nexus takes a very big blow to its momentum.

Second, WWE should not have booked Nexus to lose members -- or "getting rid of the weak links." Instead of kicking Darren Young out of the group, they should have booked Young to beat down some random jobber, much like how Sheamus took care of Jamie Noble. And hell, make Young do it again the next week as well. Here, Nexus gains a more intimidating force instead of losing a weak link.

Third, WWE should have added a few more members from NXT Season 2 to the stable. Not all of them (there are some people from Season 2 that should not be on TV right now, like Lucky Cannon and Eli Cottonwood). I would have had Husky Harris join once Skip Sheffield went down with his broken leg. I would have been interested to see Percy Watson as a heel. Heck, even have Kaval join as a heel (more on this thought later). The old adage is true...there is strength in numbers, and if Nexus kept growing, WWE would have to notice. Maybe it would be too much like how the nWo used to operate, but wasn't that one of the bright spots of WCW during the mid to late 90s (aside from their Cruiserweight Division anyway)?

(2) Thoughts on turning John Cena heel?

I personally would love for WWE to pull the trigger on this one. Cena's act is totally stale right now, and I think with Randy Orton getting huge pops wherever he goes, this is the best time to do it.

When Cena had his Thuganomics rapping gimmick on Smackdown, I really liked it. It was edgy and fresh (at least to me). Cena showed he could work crowds, generate heel heat, and still be quite entertaining. However, now he's basically a new-age Hulk Hogan, becoming SuperCena every time he is down, not selling injuries from the previous night or previous week, and of course, the kids and ladies love him. The PG rating of the show doesn't help matters, either, at least with regard to his on-air character.

I watched some footage from the rapping Cena from a few years back, and loved the heat he got. Even when he was the Prototype in OVW, he was not too shabby at getting the crowd to hate him. And wasn't it a Bruebaker character or whatever he played (basically a cursing jacked-up dude) in a Youtube video? That was also kinda awesome.

The only thing that prevents the heel turn is the Cena merchandise sales. Cena moves more merchandise than any other wrestler in the company right now, and of course, Vinnie Mac is "all about the mon'ay."

This leads into the third question:

(3) Who will win at Hell in a Cell? Barrett or Cena?

This is a good question, and there are arguments for either side to win.

Barrett should win because Nexus needs two things: (1) a win to stay in existence; and (2) a big name to make them feared again. Specifically, that big name should have major drawing power, should be feared amongst all people on the WWE roster, but also command major respect. John Cena right now fits that billing perfectly. Just think: Cena forced to join Nexus would instantly provide that shock value to make Nexus relevant, confident, and on the road to thriving.

So why should Cena win? The best argument is that the Nexus merchandise sales have been atrocious, with Vince being mortified at the numbers. So of course, if something doesn't work (like the XFL), it's best to just get canned, right?

Well, sorta. Nexus isn't an experiment that was doomed to fail. WWE just mishandled how Nexus was branded. Nexus can be saved, and forcing major stars (especially major babyfaces) to join a potentially mega-heelish stable would be a way to save the group. The XFL, on the other hand, yeah Vince. Bad idea there.

(4) Thoughts on the Daniel Bryan/Miz storyline?

Arguably the feud of the year in any promotion, although I think MCMG and Beer Money have a legit argument there. DB and Miz have waged war since February, and is really Miz's ticket to main event stardom. DB, on the other hand, can use this feud to launch a great WWE career. I am still not liking DB's new music, but at least he is getting the chance to put on some real good stuff now. In a nutshell, let's hope the feud continues for a bit longer, and it's very possible it could last through the rest of the year.

(5) Thoughts on turning Kaval heel?

I just saw this one today, and I think it is best for his career if he does that. Kaval's look, to me, screams "use him as a heel." The warrior mentality, the bald head...yeah, that sounds like a heel to me. Guys like Stone Cold and Randy Orton, they gained steam by first being a heel, and over time that same attitude being used on mega-heels (instead of faces) got them huge pops.

Kaval can be of that same mold. I mean, look where he is now. The guy went to Smackdown and even lost to Chavo Guerrero. Really, now?! I personally think Kaval even needs to move away from LayCool and just branch out on his own. Kaval needs to really embrace the warrior gimmick, but take it to another level -- a heelish one -- to get noticed and to thrive.

(6) OK, can WWE do anything right now to boost ratings?

The short answer is...no. Monday Night Football will always have a stranglehold on the ratings, and even when it's not football season, MMA has taken away a large chunk of fanbase. Other promotions like TNA and ROH are still too small or not too well-known yet to give WWE a run for its money.

This means WWE, if anything at all, will probably have to provide something internally to spark interest. Namely, the storylines have to be more compelling, the entertainment has to be better, and the wrestling has to be great as well. Nexus becoming a force again could do the trick, although I do also wonder if turning Cena heel will lead to crappier ratings (answer likely is yes). Basically, there is no backfire-proof decision that can be a solution to this question right now -- at least none I can foresee.

(7) Thoughts on unifying the Women's and Divas Title and retiring the Women's Title lineage?

There is a women's/divas division to even speak of? Yeah, I say that because that's how WWE has basically treated the division the last few years. It has gone from somewhat relevant to totally irrelevant. It really is a sad sight to see. WWE says the divas are supposed to be smart, sexy, and powerful. Well, can't you find some divas who fit that bill but can also wrestle? I think so.

Look at Cheerleader Melissa. Sara Del Rey. MsChif. Yeah, they all graced SHIMMER, and could really bolster the division if WWE ever cared to sign wrestlers instead of fitness models or Amazonian women. Heck, I'm pretty sure even Naomi in NXT Season 3 has a heck of a future wrestling-wise if used right. Is Finlay training the divas? I doubt it. The guy is not even on TV anymore, so tell him to get the divas into wrestling shape and put on a decent match for a change. It only takes one real good storyline to get the ball rolling. The entertainment can be there, but WWE forgets what the second "W" in WWE stands for.

But then again, even WWE forgets what the second "W" in WWE means with the guys as well. So I guess they fail.

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That's all I can think of for now. If there are other questions/thoughts that arise, I might be back at some point to address them.

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